Machine for filling cans with paste having a plunger with paste suction relief blades



Dec. 5, 1950 H. w. M KINNON 2,532,777

MACHINE FOR FILLING CANS WITH PASTE HAVING A PLUNGER WITH PASTE SUCTION RELIEF BLADES Filed March 29, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet -1 5 2 IN VENTOR 7 HORATIO WATSON MACKINNON I04 7 84 so ijidw AT TORN E Y Dec. 5, 1950 H. w. M KINNON 2,532,777

MACHINE FOR FILLING CANS WITH PASTE HAVING A PLUNGER WITH PASTE SUCTION RELIEF BLADES Filed March 29, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HORATIO WATSON MA CKIN NON ZM T TORNE Y Dec. 5, 1950 H. w. M KlNNoN MACHINE FOR FILLING CANS WITH PASTE HAVING A PLUNGER WITH PASTE SUCTION RELIEF BLADES Filed March 29, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN vEN' TOR HORATIO WATSON MACK/NNON ATTORNE V Dec. 5, 1950 H. w. M KlNNON 2,532,777

MACHINE FOR FILLING CANS WITH PASTE HAVING A PLUNGER WITH PASTE SUCTION RELIEF BLADES Filed Match 29, 1947 4 Sheets-6119M 4 INVENTOR HORATIO WATSON MACKINNON AT TORNE Y Patented Dec. '5, 1950 MACHINE FOR FILLING CANS WITH PASTE HAVING A PLUNGER WITH PASTE SUC- TION RELIEF BLADES Horatio Watson MacKinnon, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, assignor to John F. Latta, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Application March 29, 1947, Serial No. 738,082

4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for filling cans with paste. The objects of thepresent invention are to provide a machine whereby cans or other containers may be filled with paste material such as fish or meat as a continuous process, supplying each container presented with a definitely measured quantity of paste without soiling the exterior of the can, and also to provide for the exhaustion of the can prior to filling, so that the entire measured quantity will enter said container. A still further object is to provide means for smoothing off the surface of the paste forced into the container, so that when the cover is applied thereto no extrusionof paste shall occur. A further object is to provide means to prevent any measuring section of the machine from being supplied with paste unless a can is provided to receive the paste from said measuring section.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view showing the main driving train.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view of the plunger for forcing the paste into the cans.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the spring support for the cans.

Fig. '7 is a detail plan view, looking up, of the smoothing knife.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the control of the paste feed gate.

Fig. 9 is a detail view, part in section, of the suction shoe.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

The numeral [indicates a base having a hollow rectangular column 2 which supports one end of a table 3, a portion only of which is shown. Three vertical shafts 5, 6 and l are journalled in bearings 8, 9 and I respectively upon the base I. The shaft 5, which will hereinafter be referred to as the main drive shaft, extends upwardly through the column 2 and is fitted with a mitre gear l2 meshing with a similar gear l3 on an overhead shaft 14, which shaft is fitted with a clutch pulley l controlled by a lever I6.

The main drive shaft 5 is fitted with a pinion l3 which meshes with a smiliar gear I 9 upon the shaft 6 to drive it. Immediately above the gear i9 is a toothed wheel 20 of a Geneva gear 2|, the slotted gear 22 of which is secured upon the shaft 1.

The shaft 7 is fitted above the table 3 with a can carrier disk 25, shown in dotted line in Figure 1, which disk is provided with peripheral pockets 26 in which empty cans are received and moved throughout the filling cycle, and above the 2 carrier disk a turret head 28 is fitted upon the shaft 1. The turrent head consists of spaced disks 29 and 30 and is provided with cylindrical pockets 32, see detail in Figure 6, which are counter bored as at 33 at their lower ends and are each provided with a rubber gasket 34. The

counter bore 33 is somewhat larger than the upper rim diameter of an empty can 36 and serves to form anairtight seal between said can and the pocket 32 under which said can is supported.

Secured to the table 3 is a pair of arcuate support springs 39 which are urged upwardly in the path of the cans by compression springs 40, the springs being preferably seated in sockets 42 secured to the underside of the table 3, as shown in Figure 6. These springs thrust upwards onto plungers 43 which connect with the support springs 39 and urge the springs and any can moving therealong into sealing contact with the gasket 34 in the counter bore 33 of the pocket 32. A suction tube 45 communicates through a port 46 within the inner can area of each counter bore 33 and a port 41 formed in the upper face of the disc 29 of the turret head 28. The ports 41 are moved progressively into register with a suction shoe 50 carried from a bracket 5| upon the column 2..

The suction shoe 50, shown in detail in Fig ure 9, is a member having an elongated arcuate recessed port 52 on its underside, which recess is in length substantially equal to the distance between adjacent ports 41 in the turret 28. The shoe 50 is provided with a downwardly projecting rim 53 which engages the periphery of the disc 29 and a tubular shank 55 which is slidably mounted in the bracket 5|. A compression spring 56 surrounds the shank 55 which bears upwardly against the bracket and downwardly onto the shoe to keep said shoe in sealing contact with the disc 29 and its ports 41. The shank is connected to a pipe 51 which leads to a suitable suction device (not shown) to maintain a suction through the shank to the arcuate port 52 and to each of the ports 4! as they move lengthwise of said port during the rotational movement of the turret 28.

Extending through the rear side of the column 2 is a short horizontal shaft 69 which is driven through mitre gears 6! from the vertical shaft 5. The horizontal shaft 60 drives through mitre gears 63 a horizontal shaft 64 which extends along the rear edge of the table, see Figures 2, 3 and 4, to drive the feed worm 65 of a paste feed pipe 66 through any suitable driving train (not shown). A vertical shaft 68 is driven through mitre gears 69, see Figure 4, and is fitted at its upper end with a driving pulley ll] which is connected by a belt 12 to a driven pulley 13. The driven pulley i3 is secured upon a sleeve 15 and is provided with a key which rides in a key slot 76 of a shaft I! on the lower end of which a small diameter stem I8 is provided to fixedl support a knife 88. The lower end of the shaft H is journalled in a bearing 82 carried in the sleeve 83 and the sleeve is provided at its base with a plunger 84 slidably mounted in bearings 85 carried from the column 2. The upper end of this sleeve forms a bearing for the lower end of the sleeve which is also journalled in a bearing 86. The sleeve l5 and pulle 73 are held against endwise movement by a collar 88 secured to the sleeve 55 below the bearin 86. To provide means for reciprocating the plunger 84 a short horizontal shaft 90 is provided, which is driven by mitre gears SI and is fitted with an edge cam 93, see Figures 3 and 4. Swingingly mounted upon the rear wall of the column 2 is an arm 95 having a roller 96 which engages the periphery of the cam 93. The outer end of said arm is coupled by a vertical rod Ill to an upper arm 98 which is pivoted as at 99 and is provided with a fork is: which engages a trunnion collar I32 secured to the slidably mounted sleeve 83. The knife 89 is bevelled on its leading edges as at I84 and its rear face is in a single plane and in continuous rotating contact with the face of the plunger 84 and serves to break the adhesion of the paste from the face of the plunger as soon as the plunger starts on its upward stroke,

At the free end of the paste feed pipe 56 a d liv ry spout III! is provided, which is adapted to register with the pockets 32 as they are carried around the axis of the turret 28, and intermediate the end of said spout and the face of the disc 29 is a slide III in which a gate valve II 2 is slidabl mounted to cut off the flow of paste through the spout Illl. Below the turret and in contact with the underside of the disc 29 is a segmental plate II I, see Figures 1, 2 and 4, for the purpose of preventing the paste admitted to the pockets 32 from being extruded b lo the plane of the underside of the disc 29 and toy so retain the measure quantity in each pocket, filled until the can below said pocket reaches the lower end of the supporting springs 39 and raises the can to lift its upper rim into sealing contact with the gasket 34 of the counter. bore 33.

It will be understood that since the feed screw E5 in the feed pipe 66 is considerabl smaller than said feed pipe, that constant pressure is exerted on the paste and that when the gate valve H2 is opened the paste will immediately fiow therethrough and when closed, a counterfiow of paste will take place between the periphery of the screw and the inside wall of the pipe. The structure involved to provide this immediate flow when wanted, is common and is incidental only to the invention.

The gate valve I I2 is actuated by hydraulic control consisting of a cylinder II'I having a double acting piston III} and a piston rod II9 which rocks a bell crank I which is mounted upon a vertical shaft IZI carried upon the table 3, see Figures 1, 2 and 8, one arm of the bell crank I'Zfi being connected to an upstanding pin I23 of the gate valve II2. A control valve generally indicated by the numeral I25 isv provided to control the piston movement. This valve consists of a cylindrical casing I26 having combined supply and return ports I2'I and I28 and an exhaust port I29 in one plane and an inlet port I35 in a lower plane of said casing A valve plug I32 's rockingl mounted in the casing and is provided with a vertical ported passage I33 in constant communication with the inlet port I39 and with radial passages I35 and which selectively register with the ports I21 and I2t. The valve plug I32 is provided with a spring loaded lever I38, shown in dotted line in Figure 3, which is adapted to be moved against its spring tension by a passing can to bring the passage I35 into register with the port I21 as shown in the figure. The plug is provided with a circumferential groove I46 which is in constant register with the exhaust port I29 and selectively in register with either of the ports I2? and I 28, the registration in the setting shown being with the port I28. In the diagrammatic view Figure 8, the gate valve I I2 and the can under the measuring pocket 32 which is about to be filled,- are shown as being separated from each other horizontally instead of being in the position in which they will properly assume in the machine during the pocket filling phase of the operating cycle of the machine, viz. with the ate withdrawn to clear the measuring pocket.

A fluid supply to operate the piston I I 8 and the gate valve II2 is from a reserve tank I42 and is drawn through a pipe I53 by a continuously driven pump IM- and which is connected through a pipe I65 to the valve inlet port Ifii). A byepass Ids having a spring loaded check valve I l? connects the supply pipe M5 back to the tank 542. Pipes I59 and I59 communicate respectively with the valve port I21 and the front end cylinder port IEI and the valve port I28 and the front end cylinder port I52. A return pipe I53 com municates between the exhaust port I29 of the valve I25, and the tank I42.

Connecting with the front of the table 3 is a conveyor I63 having a conveyor chain IEI which is suitably driven from an appropriate part of the machine, which carries cans towards the can receiving disc 25. The cans are appropriately spaced by a can feed screw IE2 chain and sprocket driven from the operating train of the conveyor I 56. Below the turret 26 a discharge conveyor Ia having a conveyor chain I65 and a pair of curved guide rails I66 which serve to deflect filled cans from under the turret and from the carrier disc 25 onto the discharge conveyor.

In operation, the drive through the Geneva gear 2i imparts an intermittent rotational motion to the turret 28 and the can carrier disc 25. A continuous suction is exerted within the pipe 5? and the suction shoe to one of the ports a 2i and a constant flow of liquid is maintained by the pump I44 for controlling the flow of paste to the measuring pockets 32 and paste is continuously flowing within the paste feed pipe 6E. Cans are brought to the machine upon the conveyor I66 and, are fed at suitable intervals into the recesses of the can carrier disc 25 and are carried around, each can being vertically aligned with a measurin pocket 32 of the turret 28. As each pocket 32 approaches a position under the spout III assuming that a can is being carried along under said pocket, the can will contact the valve lever I33 and swing it in the direction of can travel until the pocket is directly under the feed spout, when the turret 28 will come to rest by virtue of the then disposition of the elements and 22 of the Geneva gear 2L Simultaneously the valve plug I32 being in the position shown in Figure 8, will cause a fluid flow to the front end of the cylinder II! to actuate the piston II 8 and rock the bell crank I28 to open the gate valve I I2 and allow paste to flow through the spout Ill! and deliver a measured quantity into said pocket 32, which at this time is closed off at the bottom by the segmental plate I I4. As soon as sufficient fluid has been delivered to the cylinder In, the discharge from the gear pump I44 will bye-pass back to the reserve tank I42 through the spring loaded check valve I41. When the toothed portion of the wheel of the Geneva gear 2| again engages the slotted gear 22 to drive it, the turret will again turn, moving the last filled can beyond the segmental plate I I4 and onto the arcuate supporting springs 39 where in successive movements the can is raised by said springs to seal its upper rim into sealing contact with the gasket 34 of the counter bore 33 of the filled pocket 32. As soon as the port 4'5 of the pipe 45 connecting the said filled pocket comes under the suction shoe 50, said can will be subjected to suction through the pipe 51, thus exhausting the can and effecting a downward suction on the paste within said pocket, so that when the turret next comes to rest with the said pocket and its can under the plunger 84, said plunger actuated by the rotation of the cam and its operating train descends to force the paste Wholly into the can. The knife 80 being under constant rotation sweeps between the paste mass and the plunger 84, thus preventing adhesion of one to the other and allows said plunger to rise on its return stroke free from adherent paste material. The filled can iscarried further around in intermittent steps, first moving off the arcuate supports spring 39 onto the table 3 and is finally withdrawn from the carrier disc 25 by the curved guide rails I66 to deliver it onto the discharge conveyor I 64. The description of this cycle applies to one measuring pocket and one can only, but it will be understood that as one measuring pocket i being filled a can under a preceding pocket will be undergoing exhaustion and another can will be in process of being filled. As each can passes from its position below the filling spout, the gate valve II2 closes by virtue of the valve plug I32 swinging to reverse the fluid flow to the cylinder II'I incidental to the can passing away from the end of the spring tensioned valve lever I38. Obviously if a measuring pocket 32 in reaching filling position is not accompanied by a can, the lever I38 cannot be swung and consequently the gate will not be opened, so that said pocket will remain empty until it again approaches the feed spout appronriately accompanied by a can.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A paste filling machine comprising a table, a vertical shaft extending above said table, means for imparting intermittent rotation to the shaft, a container carrying device secured upon the shaft and a turret having a plurality of concentricallv arranged pockets within the turret, said pockets being open at their upper and lower ends, said carrier being adapted to move a container into alignment with each pocket, a stationary plate interposed below a portion of the turret and in the path of the containers and a feed spout disposed above said plate to supply paste to the pockets progressively, a gate interposed between the spout and the turret, and means responsive to the movement of a container into aligned position with the gate for opening said gate to admit paste to the measuring pocket above said container, means for closing the gate after each pocket is filled, and means for transferring the paste from the pocket to its container.

2. A paste filling machine comprising a table, a vertical shaft extending above said table, means for imparting intermittent rotation to the shaft, a container carrying device secured upon the shaft and a turret having a plurality of concentrically arranged pockets within the turret, said pockets being open at their upper and lower ends, said carrier being adapted to move a container into alignment with each pocket, a stationary plate interposed below a portion of the turret and in the path of the containers and a feed spout disposed above said plate to supply paste to the pockets progressively, a gate interposed between the spout and the turret, and means responsive to the movement of a container into aligned position with the gate for opening said gate to admit paste to the measuring pocket above said container, means for closing the gate after each pocket is filled, and means for transferring the paste from the pocket to its container, said means consisting of a fluid pressure operated member operatively connected with the gate to open it and a valve for controlling the movement of the member, said valve having a lever normally interposed in the path of the container and to be moved thereby.

3. In a aste filling machine having open ended measuring pockets adapted to be filled with material and to be moved along a path with a container held in adjusted position at an open end of each pocket, a plunger adapted for reciprocatory movement to enter each of said pockets progressively and to thrust the contained material into its container, and means associated with the plunger to substantially clean the plunger to prevent the withdrawal of material from the container, said means consisting of a member mounted on the thrust face of said plunger, and means for moving the member to sweep said face as the plunger is withdrawn.

4. In a paste filling machine having open ended measuring pockets adapted to be filled with material and to be moved along a path with a container held in adjusted position at an open end of each pocket, a plunger adapted for reciprocatory movement to enter each of said pockets progressively and to thrust the contained material into its container, and means associated with the plunger to substantially clean the plunger to prevent the withdrawal of material from the container, said means consisting of a rotary knife journalled upon the thrust face of the plunger to sweep said face as the plunger is withdrawn, and means for imparting rotation to the knife.

HORATIO WATSON MACKINNON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 407,943 Nichols July 30, 1889 671,392 Brown Apr. 2, 1901 1,099,114 Bracy June 2, 1914 1,434,766 Babcock Nov. 7, 1922 1,981,485 Westin Nov. 20, 1934 2,176,449 Ayars Oct. 17, 1939 2,433,061 Pearson et al Dec. 23, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 287,924 Germany May 6, 1913 

